You Belong With Me
by AmericanEulogy
Summary: Chandler is (or was) dating Janice. Monica is downcast when he asks her to go ring shopping with him for the woman of his dreams. Little does she know he doesn't mean Janice at all, and has already broken up with her. Now complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**** I'm sure many of you know the song 'You Belong With Me' by Taylor Swift. I, personally, am not her biggest fan but I have to say this was just the most fitting title for this fic, so, enjoy! And tell me what you think.**

The six best friends, Chandler, Monica, Rachel, Joey, Phoebe and Ross, were all hanging out at Central Perk, as they did most days. They had just finished discussing Rachel's latest date and the guys were very bored. Chandler was still dating Janice; he had been for quite a while, but he knew he wasn't happy with her. He was secretly in love with someone in their very own little group of friends: Monica Geller. Well okay, maybe it wasn't a secret; the only person that didn't actually know was Monica herself. What he didn't know was that Monica was also in love with him, and had been for a long time. In some ways they were the perfect match. Then, before they knew it, it was time for Ross and Monica to go to dinner with their parents (joy…), leaving Chandler, Joey, Rachel and Phoebe at the coffeehouse.

"So, when you telling her, man?" Joey clapped Chandler on the arm.

"What do you mean?"

"When are you telling Monica you're in love with her?"  
"I can't do that!"

"Yes, you can!" Phoebe interjected.

"Yeah," Rachel added, "What do you have to lose?"

"Uh, everything?!" Chandler exclaimed, appalled.

"Dude, break up with Janice and go after Monica already." Joey encouraged Chandler.

"I don't know. Monica would never be into a guy like me, and come on, she's my best friend. It would never work!"

"Yes it would, don't be such a boy!" Phoebe whined.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Come on, everyone knows Monica has just been waiting for you. Why do you think none of her relationships ever work out?!"

"Phoebe!" Rachel exclaimed. "I can't believe you just told! We promised Monica we wouldn't."

"Well I'm sorry, I was getting sick of his hesitation! He needed to know. Now he can have enough courage to go after what both of them so obviously want."

"Wait, Phoebe, what did you just say?" Chandler rejoined the conversation.

"Yes, okay. Ooh, the moment of truth. Monica's in love with you, Chandler. You should have noticed by now." Phoebe said it like it was obvious. Chandler was in shock. He fell back against the couch in deep thought. How could he get her to become his? Then it came to him, and a sly smile settled on his lips. Monica Geller was going to be his in no time. He had to go at her with his best weapon, the thing she wanted most. Marriage.

"What's with the smile, Chandler?" Joey asked in confusion. Chandler just kept smiling.

"You'll see. I have a plan." Everyone looked at each other in wonder and Phoebe started laughing.

**Author's Note:**** I know that wasn't the longest chapter, but the next one will hopefully be up shortly, and I'm hoping to make it longer. Just tell me what you thought of it so far! Thanks.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**** After getting some really nice reviews, the first one from**** Mondlerfan101 (great stuff btw!), I decided to continue with this story over my others. I hope you like it! Let me know what you think! Now, let's find out about Chandler's plan…**

It was the next day, and the others still had no idea what Chandler was planning in order to get Monica. He was just sitting in the coffeehouse with Janice, getting ready to break up with her.

"Janice," He said gently. "We need to talk." At this she began to look worried, because nothing good ever follows those words, but to Chandler that wasn't important. "Listen, Janice… I know we keep getting together, but you need to know that I'm in love with somebody else. She's the most amazing person…" He drifted into thought and smiled because he was daydreaming about Monica.

"Chandler?" came Janice's irritating nasal voice, bringing him back to reality.

"Right, sorry. Anyway, I'm planning on going after her and I'm sorry, but… we need to break up." Her eyes started to water and she sniffed, but shook it off and spoke again.

"You know what, Chandler? That's okay. If I know you, and I think I do, you'll be back anyway. You can't stay away from me, sweetie pie!"

"Oh, I think I can this time." He muttered to himself.

"What's that?"

"Nothing, Janice." He laughed a fake laugh. "Goodbye now."

"Goodbye Chandler Bing. See you in the future. Hahahaha." She laughed her annoying laugh one final time before standing up and walking out the doors of Central Perk, head held high, not knowing that Chandler really wouldn't be back again. Not this time.

As soon as Janice left, a huge smile covered Chandler's face and didn't go away all day. He was free to go after Monica now. He quickly called his friends, except for Monica, and asked them to meet him at Central Perk as soon as possible. It was time to put his plan in action, and he needed everyone else for this.

A little while later, they were all gathered at Central Perk. Chandler sat in the armchair, Joey sat in the one across from him and Rachel, Ross and Phoebe sat on the couch in the middle. All eyes were fixated on Chandler, waiting for him to clarify things for them. They definitely noticed the huge smile that wasn't leaving his face.

"Why are you so happy?" Phoebe asked. "Oh! Did you ask out Monica?"

"No," Chandler replied, and upon seeing their confused faces he added "But! I broke up with Janice just now." He still kept smiling and now the other four were praising and applauding him for doing this. "Please don't tell Monica."

"What? Why not?" Rachel whined; she always did love telling secrets.

"Because I have a plan. And it involves Monica not finding out about me breaking up with Janice… yet."

"You're not gonna try and make her jealous, are you, Chandler? Cause then I will have to punch you. I swear, if you hurt my sister…" Ross's protective instinct as a brother kicked in and he felt the need to warn Chandler.

"Don't worry your little dinosaur head, Ross, I would never hurt her. I love her."

"Yeah, you'd better. Nobody messes with my little sister." Chandler couldn't help but laugh at Ross. "It's not funny!" Ross complained.

"I know, I know. I'm just in a giddy mood. I'm really excited." The other four smiled excitedly for him when Chandler confessed that to them. "So just promise me you guys won't tell Monica anything, okay?" They all promised not to, Rachel with great reluctance, and moved on to other topics, sipping their coffee all the while. Chandler kept his smile plastered on the entire time, and when Monica showed up it widened even more, if that was possible.

"What's he so happy about?" she asked the others, but they just shrugged and laughed. Confused, she sat down next to him. "Are things going well with Janice?" At this, he laughed and replied:

"Oh yes, my situation with her could not be any better right now."

"Well that's good." She said, still very confused. She wondered how anybody could be happy with Janice, but kept it to herself. She also kept to herself how she wanted so badly for him to be happy with her instead. How was she supposed to know that that was exactly what he'd been planning, and that that was the cause of his long-lasting grin? Of course, she couldn't have known. But she was about to find out…

**Author's Note:**** Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed, it really means a lot to me. If you want to find out how Chandler plans on getting with Monica, I'll be posting another chapter either today or (most likely) tomorrow. Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**** I'm really sorry, I meant to update yesterday but I was busy all day! But anyway, here it is. Sorry if it isn't so good, I'm kind of rushed. But yeah. Review!**

"Thanks for coming over, Mon. I wanted to ask you a favor." Chandler spoke as the door to his apartment shut and Monica walked in, right on cue.

"Sure, anything. What's up, Chandler?"

"I wanted to know if you'd go ring shopping with me? I want to pick out a wedding ring so I can marry the woman of my dreams, but unfortunately I have no idea what girls like, so I thought it would be good to have a girl's opinion." Monica's heart dropped at those words. He wanted to marry Janice. All this time Monica had still had hope of them breaking up, like they did every time, but now he was looking for a wedding ring. How could Janice be the woman of his dreams? All hope Monica had ever had was over, and she couldn't even let it show. She plastered on a smile and faked her enthusiasm for her next words:

"Aww! Chandler! Of course I'll help you pick out a wedding ring for her! That's so sweet, I had no idea you were that far in your relationship with Janice, you guys were always so unstable!"

"I've always been unstable when it comes to relationships, but I'm really sure about this choice. I know it's what I want; it's what I've always wanted." Monica seemed shocked, and Chandler just smiled to himself. If only she knew…

"Alright, so when were you thinking of going?" Monica asked, still faking her good mood at the news.

"Actually, I was thinking, what if we went now?"

"Now?" Monica repeated in shock.

"Yeah."

"Oh, okay. I guess. Just let me go get my coat." Monica walked across the hall to get her coat and took a deep breath, steadying herself. She really had no interest in helping Chandler prepare to marry some other woman, but it's not like she could refuse to go with him without him knowing something was up; they were best friends. She couldn't let him know how she really felt. This must have been why he was so happy at Central Perk earlier, he was planning his proposal. That must have been it. Monica couldn't believe it. Janice, of all people. She suddenly realized she was taking a while, so she grabbed her coat and walked back over to Chandler's across the hall.

_I wonder why Monica seemed so enthusiastic about going with me,_ Chandler thought to himself as he waited for her to get her coat. _Maybe she's faking it. I hope she's faking it. She couldn't suspect anything, could she? No, I know she was probably just pretending to be happy for me. Unless she doesn't feel the same? No, don't think like that, Chandler. Just go for it!_ Just then, Monica walked back in and gave him a smile.

"Ready, Chandler?" Chandler jumped to his feet.

"Let's do this!" Though she was upset, Monica couldn't help but grin when she saw Chandler so happy, it made her happy to watch.

After about ten minutes of walking, they finally reached the ring shop. They looked around forever and Monica kept getting these frustrating pangs of jealousy every time Chandler stopped to look at another ring, but there was nothing she could do about it. She wasn't about to get in the way of his luck with Janice, no matter how much she wanted to. He was planning on getting married… that was a big commitment. And she loved him so much, but she couldn't change the way he felt.

Chandler smiled as he thought about how shocked Monica would be when Chandler proposed to her, not Janice. She had been quiet the whole time; maybe she was hurt when he asked her to go with him. He hated hurting her but he knew it would all be worth it in the end, so he pretended like he didn't notice. After maybe 45 minutes of browsing the entire store, he turned to Monica.

"Nothing's right." Her spirits lifted in a momentary surge of hope, thinking maybe he'd changed his mind about the whole thing. "I'll just have to order a custom ring, that'll be more personal anyway." This time her heart sunk again, and she nodded with a meek smile. Not letting on what was really going on, Chandler put on a look of concern.

"Are you alright, Mon?"

"Yeah, I'm fine!" She said, maybe a little too excitedly.

"Okay, if you say so." Chandler walked her back home. "Thanks for coming with me today, and I'm sorry for wasting your time and not getting a ring in the end. But at least I realized a custom ring is the way to go. Thanks for your advice, I'm a complete nuisance when it comes to this stuff."

"Yeah, anytime, Chandler." Monica responded. "Listen, I'm pretty tired so good luck with getting your ring and I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure, goodnight, Mon."  
"Night, Chandler." He gave her a quick hug goodbye and strolled back to his apartment, very pleased with himself. Joey was sitting in one of the recliners watching TV when Chandler walked in.

"Hey, man!" Chandler called out.

"Hey! How'd it go?" Joey asked.

"Pretty good. She didn't suspect a thing."

"Nice. So when you popping the question?"

"All in good time, Joe. There's a few more things to be accomplished first."

**Author's Note:**** Thanks for reading, please tell me what you thought. The next chapter will be out soon, hopefully today or tomorrow but I'm not making any promises!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**** I'm really sorry (and this goes for everything I'm writing)****, if I don't update as frequently as I say I will or when I say I will, I have the most annoying guest right now and I'm forced to take care of her, but she leaves on Sunday so thank goodness for that. Anyway, I'm trying. Here's another update for you guys, thanks so much to those of you who review, I can't tell you how happy it makes me. Keep it up!**

Monica walked in to her apartment and plopped down her bag on the counter, sitting down at the kitchen table. She sighed in defeat. Chandler wanted to marry Janice.

"Hey, where have you been?" Rachel walked out of her bedroom and over to Monica.

"I was just helping Chandler pick out a ring for Janice."  
"A wedding ring?!" Rachel seemed shocked. Monica nodded and shrugged her shoulders. Rachel put her arm around her, rubbing her back comfortingly. "Oh sweetie, I'm sorry. I had no idea they were that serious." Monica gladly accepted Rachel's sympathy as she tried her best not to cry.

"You know what, who cares. I never had a chance, he's my best friend." She said, more to herself than to Rachel. Rachel didn't know how to respond, so she just continued rubbing her best friend and roommate's back, trying to make her feel better.

"I'll get out the ice cream." She told Monica.

"Okay, but make sure it's the good stuff." Monica reminded her; this was a serious case. Rachel got it out, along with a spoon, and handed it to Monica, sitting at the table next to her and placing a hand on her arm.

"It'll be okay. I know it will." And she did know. She just wished Chandler would hurry it up a little bit. She hated seeing Monica like this, hurt and sad, but she had promised Chandler she wouldn't say anything. She decided to have a word with Chandler. "Hey Mon, you gonna be okay? I forgot my book at Joey and Chandler's, I should get that before I forget. Do you mind if I go do that really quick?" Monica shrugged in response.

"I guess. Hey Rach?" she called out as Rachel got up and headed out. Rachel turned back.

"Yeah Mon?"

"Thanks."

"Of course." Rachel gave her a sympathetic smile and then turned and headed out the door, across the hall to apartment 19.

Chandler turned his head in shock as the door to his apartment burst open and then got slammed shut again. "Chandler!" Came Rachel's voice behind him. She sounded angry. This wasn't good. He let her come over to where he was sitting in a recliner and stand in front of him, hands on her hips. "How dare you ask Monica to go ring shopping with you? For Janice?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down. First of all, the ring's not for Janice, it's for her." At this, Rachel brought her hand to her heart and tears started forming in her eyes. _How sweet!_, she thought. "Second of all, it's all part of the plan. She was supposed to think it's for Janice; she'll be so much more surprised and happy when I ask her."

"Oh, Chandler! I didn't realize you wanted to marry her. That's so sweet! She'll love it." He smiled to himself.

"I know. It's perfect. Just like her." Rachel nearly melted when he said that. She wished there were more sensitive guys in the world.

"I didn't realize that. That's good to know. Just, you might want to think about moving just a teeny bit faster. She was all upset today when she came home because she was sad about you wanting to marry Janice. Which you don't, but she doesn't know that."

"Don't worry, Rachel. She'll be fine. I'll get there, I just want it to be perfect for her. Do you understand that?"

"Yeah, okay. I'm sorry I came over here and yelled at you."

"That's okay." Chandler stood up and pulled her into a hug. "Remember, no matter how hard it might be, do not tell Monica anything! Okay?"

"Yeah, okay." Rachel turned to leave, but then she suddenly remembered something. "Oh, and one more thing! Do you have a book I can take over to our apartment? I told Monica I left my book in here, and that's why I needed to come over and get it." Chandler laughed.

"Of course." He walked into Joey's bedroom and came back out with a copy of 'Little Women'.

"Hey, this is my book! So that's what happened to it." Chandler laughed at Rachel's look of realization.

"Oops, that's right. Joey loved that book so much he had to read it again, but was too embarrassed to ask. So he just went and got it." This, in turn, made Rachel laugh.

"I really should return his copy of 'The Shining' too, shouldn't I?" She smiled again and patted Chandler on the head. "So what's next on your agenda to get Monica?"

"You'll see." Chandler replied. Rachel shrugged, laughed, and walked back across the hall into her apartment, waving the book at Monica as proof that she got it back as she walked into her bedroom again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**** I would like to thank the reviewers**** and readers for their continued support! And, without a long, rambling Author's Note, here you go!**

After Rachel left, Chandler sat back down in his recliner, deep in thought. Rachel had told him that Monica was really upset after the ring shopping thing. On one hand, Chandler felt bad and guilty for hurting Monica, but on the other hand, it made him feel relieved. Her being upset by it meant she actually loved him, didn't it? He hoped so. He pondered on it for a while, and then watched some TV, but he was still thinking about it. He was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn't even notice Joey coming home from an audition he'd had until Joey switched off the TV.

"Chandler?"

"Yeah, Joe?"

"Are you alright? I called your name like, ten times."

"Yeah, I'm fine man. I was just thinking about Monica." At this, Joey got a knowing look on his face.

"Ohh, okay. In that case, I'm sorry to interrupt. Do you want me to leave again? Did you want to … do something, you know, by yourself?" Chandler looked confused for a minute until he realized what Joey meant.

"Oh! No! No, no! God, Joey." He said in an appalled tone of voice. "I wasn't thinking about her in THAT way! I was just contemplating her reaction to the ring shopping thing. Rach told me she was really upset, and I wasn't sure whether to be happy or sad about that."

"Oh. Sorry, man. I think that's good! It means she has feelings for you! She's jealous of Janice, dude." Chandler thought about this for a second.

"You really think so, Joe?"

"Yeah, I do. Okay, so aren't you gonna ask me how my audition went?"

"Oh, right! How'd your audition go, Joey?"

"Didn't get it." Chandler waited for Joey to do his signature 'Just kidding, I did' but it never came.

"I'm sorry, Joe. Why'd you want me to ask then?"

"I don't know." Chandler looked confused, but decided not to question Joey's logic, so he just shrugged and switched the TV back on. Joey plopped down on the other recliner and put his feet up. Within seconds, Chandler was back to his previous thoughts of Monica. Now he started to become happy again, almost giddy at the thought of how happy she would be.

Later that night, Chandler lay awake in his bed but he couldn't sleep. It must have been too much excitement or something. Also, Joey was snoring so loudly it could be heard through the wall but Chandler wasn't going to go wake him or move him, since he knew his roommate slept naked. The mere thought disturbed him greatly, and he brought his mind back to Monica. About half an hour later, he was still unable to sleep so he walked out into the living room. He picked up a magazine he had taken at the ring shop from the coffee table and began thumbing through it, looking for inspiration. None of them were right, though, it was the same as in the store. He knew it needed to be really special for Monica, so the next day he walked back down to the store by himself and the clerk let him design what he wanted.

After getting that accomplished, he walked down to Central Perk where everyone apart from Monica was seated already, on and around the couch they always sat on.

"Where's Mon?" He asked the other four.

"Oh, she'll be down in a second, she just wanted to take a quick shower." Ross informed him. Chandler sat down and beckoned for everybody to lean in closer.

"I just ordered the ring. It's beautiful, and I think she'll love it. I got to design it myself, so it'll be something really personal. I'd rather just show you when it arrives than tell you about it now."

"That's great, Chandler. So when's it arriving?" Phoebe inquired. She seemed very interested.

"This is what I was getting to. They said it could take up to three months, but I can't wait that long! I told them to try and hurry up, but they can't promise anything. They did say, however, that it could also be as short as three weeks. Anything between three weeks and three months, that's the time frame." He explained cautiously.

"What? Chandler! You can't wait that long! You guys need to get together sooner!" Rachel exploded at him.

"Calm down, Rachel, I'll get it taken care of. There's still other things that need to be done first anyway. I need to figure out the perfect way to propose to her. What are some things Monica loves?"

"Food. Well, cooking, actually." Ross mentioned.

"Right." Chandler said. "What else?"

"Boring games." Phoebe threw in.

"Anything useful?" Phoebe looked hurt when Chandler rejected her contribution, and Joey pulled her into his arms to comfort her. Chandler just rolled his eyes. He would have to come up with something by himself. Suddenly, it came to him. It didn't have to be anything extravagant; he knew Monica would love something simple too, as long as it came from his heart. And he knew just what to do to make her swoon. Of course, he would need everyone else's help to set it up. But that shouldn't be a problem.

**Author's Note:**** Hope you liked that. Review! And keep reading if you want to see what he has planned!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**** Sorry for not updating sooner, I was out with**** my bro, his girlfriend and her brother. Bear with me here. I leave on vacation next Friday, for about three weeks, so I'll try and get the story finished before then. I'm not sure if I can update there, probably not so yeah. Okay, on with the story!**

Chandler and Ross walked around a store, collecting items they needed. So far they had about a hundred connected little fairy lights and a tall, fancy candlestick. All of this was in preparation for the proposal dinner. Chandler and the others were going to set up a beautifully decorated table on Monica's balcony so that they wouldn't need to go anywhere special, and one of the others would always be on Monica-duty, making sure she didn't come home until everything was ready and Chandler was seated. So Chandler and Ross were out getting the items they needed to decorate the table and balcony accordingly. They couldn't actually have the dinner until the ring arrived, but it was always good to get a head start, especially since that wasn't the only thing still to be done.

At the same time, halfway across the city, Rachel was taking Monica through one high-end fancy clothing store after another, trying to find the perfect outfit for the dinner. Monica, of course, still had no idea what was going on. Chandler had given Rachel quite a bit of money and told her to help find Monica a beautiful outfit for the night, and that's what she was doing.

"What are we doing, Rach?"

"We're finding you the perfect outfit."

"For?"

"For a couple of weeks from now."

"Oh no, Rach, you didn't set me up with somebody, did you?"

"Well, yes. You have a date. But don't worry, you'll love him!" They argued for a bit until Monica finally gave in and agreed. They kept searching for a while, until finally, they found it. Both girls fell in love with the dress at first sight. It was a navy blue dress that fell to the floor, long and sleek, with diamonds embroidered along the deep V-shaped collar, as well as at the hem where the dress split a little bit to show some leg. It was beautiful, until Monica caught a glance at the price tag.

"Rachel, I can never afford this!"

"Oh, don't you worry, I've got it covered." Monica started to protest, but Rachel shushed her and took the dress over to the cashier, pulling out the money Chandler had given her. "Now," She turned to Monica. "We need shoes and jewelry. Come on!" She said as she pulled her along to the next few stores.

Once Ross and Chandler had gotten all the decorations and lights they needed, they too went to some clothing stores to get Chandler a brand-new, spotless tuxedo for the night. Rachel had quickly called and told them the color of Monica's dress so that they could match the tie accordingly. Phoebe and Joey were put in charge of planning the food for that night. It had to be perfect, since Monica was a chef and therefore had a very refined taste. Chandler decided to try making something himself, to impress her.

Joey and Phoebe were seated in Central Perk with food magazines and a notepad in front of them, trying to figure out something good. It had to be fancy, but not over-elaborate, since Chandler had to cook it. They thought maybe several courses; a starter and a main course, and, of course, a dessert. Now what could he make that Monica would love? They continued planning the menu for the next half hour, and finally came up with a small salad to begin with, with homemade dressing, then for the main course steak with a fancy fish sauce and rice, and finally, for dessert, the best part, a home-made key lime pie. It was perfect, simple enough for Chandler to do but nice enough for Monica to enjoy. This night was going to go perfectly.

All five of them (Rachel, Ross, Joey, Phoebe and Chandler) reconvened while Monica had to head off to a pastry emergency at work, and Chandler inquired how everything went. Everyone told him what they had accomplished and gotten done, and Chandler was satisfied with the results. The next step was to come up with a sort of speech, something he could say when he proposed. They all put their thoughts in, and came up with a rough idea. He would think of the exact words when he actually proposed, since it would be much more natural and special that way, they all agreed.

Everybody was starting to get very excited as the date came closer and closer. Phoebe was happy that a new relationship would be formed, and she did think that Monica and Chandler were perfect for each other. Rachel was getting excited for the secret to be out in the open. Joey was happy for his best friend; as was Ross, as well as for his little sister. And Chandler… well, Chandler was just happy that he could finally be with Monica. The days went by, and the ring should be arriving soon. As soon as it did, they would figure out the best date for the dinner, and it could begin.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:**** I'm running out of ideas f****or things to be done before the proposal, so I'm gonna skip right ahead, and the proposal will be next chapter! There may be a couple more chapters afterwards, the wedding maybe, and perhaps an epilogue, we'll have to see. Tell me your ideas. Okay, here you go.**

As the days passed by, the tension in the air became higher and higher. Chandler was getting more nervous by the second, Ross, Rachel, Joey and Phoebe were getting more and more excited, and Monica was just wondering what had gotten into everybody. One day she came home from work and saw a package sitting outside apartment 19. Curious, she decided to check the return address and her heart sunk as she saw that the package was from a ring delivery place. It was the engagement ring. It was here. This was real; he really was planning on marrying Janice.

On the verge of tears, she ran back to her own apartment, where she found Chandler sitting with her parents.

"Oh! Monica!" Judy Geller sounded surprised to see her.

"We were waiting for you to come home, and this lovely young gentleman kept us company." Jack told her.

"Everything alright?" Chandler asked in concern when he saw her face.

"Yeah, fine. So what are you guys doing here?" She sat down next to her parents and Chandler got up to leave. Monica wasn't happy to see her parents, and they told her they were just checking up on her, when in reality Chandler had asked them to come visit, and he had just asked them for their blessing, telling them the entire plan and making sure they wouldn't tell. After much convincing, they had finally agreed, and that was when Monica had walked in.

Out in the hall, Chandler did a little happy dance. Then he spotted the package outside his door and picked it up, and his happy dance became a little happier at the confirmation that the ring was actually here! As fast as he could, he called the other four over to his place, and as soon as they arrived he showed them the ring. It was beautiful; gold with a magnificent, relatively large diamond in it, on top, and two smaller ones on either side. On the bottom, the words 'Monica Geller, I love you' were inscribed, very small and very delicate, but they were there. He smiled and his heart leaped as he held his custom ring in his hand for the first time. Everyone else ooh-ed and ahh-ed when they saw it, and Rachel got tears in her eyes, as did Joey. Chandler carefully placed it back in its satiny box and put it away safely in his bedside drawer.

He told them all about getting Jack and Judy's blessing, at which they congratulated them, and the five of them picked out a date, next Friday, eight days from then. The plan they devised was that Rachel would send Monica to a restaurant where she had a "date", but in reality Rachel wouldn't get her a date, and she would think she was being stood up and return back home, devastated, by which time the others would have set up the balcony and Chandler would be seated at a table, waiting for her. Rachel would send her out on the balcony and bring them the food. They would eat, and talk, and then before dessert Chandler would propose. Supposing everything went well, they would be engaged, and they would bring everyone out for dessert and tell Monica everything. Just thinking about it made Chandler feel all warm inside, and he couldn't wait. Chandler Bing, the one who was scared of commitment, was taking a huge step in his life, and he couldn't wait for it to happen. Wow.

**Author's Note:**** Sorry for the short chapter, but the next one will be the one with the proposal! Ahh! How excited are we for them? Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:**** I'm going to a soccer game later on, and then**** in the evening I have a ball-type thing my dance school is putting on, and tomorrow I'm going up to visit my grandma as well as bring the irritating guest away, so I'm not sure if I can update again this weekend but I will definitely try my best. Either way, here's another chapter for you guys. Enjoy!**

Monica walked into the apartment two days later and called out Rachel's name. Rachel walked into the living room with curiosity.

"What's up, Mon?"

"Rach! Guess what? I got a date for tonight! I met this really cute guy at the coffeehouse." Rachel froze for a moment. _Shit._ She thought. _Shit, shit, shit._ How could she get Monica out of doing this?

"But Mon," She whined, "I set you up on a date for Friday, remember?"

"Rach, come on. You know I don't like blind dates! I want to pick the guy myself! And my first choice wasn't available, so I'm moving on like I always tell you to when you're in love with my brother."

"So why can't you move on with the guy I picked out for you? I know you're going to love him. I just know it. And if you don't, then you can go out with somebody else. But please just give it a shot! How can you know if you won't even try?"

"Why? I want to make my own decisions!"

"Please, Monica. Please just do this. For me! How many times have I done something I didn't want to for you?"

"Um, try never?" Was Monica's sassy response to that question.

"That's not true! I took out the trash once. This is payback!" Monica rolled her eyes. Rachel always was dramatic about chores.

"How about I go on my date, and I go on yours? Then we can see which one I liked better."

"Fine." Rachel snapped back and stomped out the door, over to Chandler's, where she told him everything that had just happened.

Chandler was freaking out.

"She can't go on a date with somebody else! She's supposed to love me!"

"And she does, Chandler! She's in denial, that's all this is! But don't worry. I have a plan. I'll chase him away. Just let her go on her date, no matter how hard it is for you. Because in the end, she'll pick you anyway." Chandler bit his lip nervously at the thought but agreed after much coaxing from Rachel. There was nothing they could do to change it anyway.

Later on, in the evening, Chandler, Rachel, Ross, Joey and Phoebe were all sitting on around their couch at the coffeehouse. Rachel and Chandler had filled everyone in on what had happened, and Monica was off on her date at that moment. Rachel and Phoebe had thought of a way to chase off the guy she was out with, and even though it was mean towards Monica, they couldn't wait to do it because it was just going to be so much fun! As long as Monica wasn't too mad at them for it.

Sure enough, not too long after, in walked Monica and her date, a very tall and handsome guy.

"Hey Mon! So glad you're back, we were beginning to get worried!" Rachel told her.

"Alright," Monica looked confused, "Everyone, this is Chris. Chris, this is everyone." They all mumbled a 'hi', and then Rachel and Phoebe got to it.

"Monica, can we talk to you over here for a second?" Phoebe asked, and then, without waiting for an answer, she pulled Monica into another corner. She spoke loud enough for the whole coffeehouse to hear. "I don't think you should see this guy anymore! He's not right for you, and look at what he's wearing! What is that?" She practically yelled, making sure Chris heard everything she was saying.

"Phoebe, would you keep it down?" Monica said, ashamed. In the meantime, Rachel started talking to Chris.

"So Chris, just ignore my friend Phoebe over there, she doesn't have much common sense. I, on the other hand, have plenty of it! And I want you to stay away from Monica. We're her relationship advisers, and you, my friend, don't make the cut! You're not right for her, and look at what you're wearing! What is that?"

"Okay, you guys are way too weird. Stay away from me. Monica, I'm sorry. This is just not worth it." He glanced over at the three guys, who had been giving him creepy smiles the entire time. "Yeah, I'm out of here. Sorry. And don't call me unless you wanna ditch these guys." With that, he walked out of the coffeehouse. Phoebe and Rachel gave each other high fives, and Chandler felt very relieved. Ross and Joey just laughed.

"Guys, what the hell was that? I actually liked this guy!"

"What?" Phoebe seemed offended. "We're just doing our job as your friends."

"Yeah," Rachel agreed. "You're better off without him. Now you can go out with the guy I chose for you on Friday! He's much better."

"Rachel, if you think I want to go out with somebody you picked after the scene you just made, you're wrong."

"Oh, come on, Mon! Just give it a shot! If it doesn't work out, Phoebe and I will personally apologize to Chris and explain everything. And then you can go out with him. Okay?" Chandler loudly cleared his throat, and Rachel gave him a warning look, turning back to Monica. "But that won't happen, because you and this guy are PERFECT for each other."

"I guess." Monica replied glumly. "I'll give it a try, but I won't promise anything! Are we clear?" Rachel and Phoebe nodded meekly.

Finally, it was Friday.

**Author's Note:**** Change of plans, the proposal will be next chapter! Sorry. Keep reading, though! I just wanted to add this in, and it was a longer segment than planned, and I figured it would be better to just put the proposal in a separate chapter for itself. So, next time I update you guys get the proposal! Are you excited? Review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:**** Sorry for not updating in a few days,**** as I said I was very busy on the weekend and yesterday there was some family stress… a lot actually, serious shit. It's still going on. One family member is not talking to the rest of us and left for a while yesterday. Anyway, I'm not going to get into that. So I'm sorry for not being able to update earlier, but I'm hoping the chapter will be worth the wait (it's also a bit longer than the others). Tell me what you think of it!**

Finally, it was Friday.

Monica stormed into her apartment, dress hitched up at the sides so she wouldn't step on it, and yelled out Rachel's name angrily.

"Rachel Karen Green! You come out here right now."

Behind her closed door, Rachel rubbed her hands together in glee. Showtime. She took a deep breath and opened her door, pretending like she didn't know what had happened.

"What is it, Mon? Why are you back so soon? Did you not like Peter?" Peter was the name she told Monica when she had asked about the blind date.

"I thought you said his name was Alfred?" Monica asked angrily. Oops. Maybe Peter wasn't the name she had told her after all.

"Right. Alfred. What I said." Monica looked confused and irritated as she started raising her voice again.

"Well either way, Peter or Alfred, whoever the hell he was, decided to just NOT SHOW UP! You dressed me up in this gorgeous dress and did my hair and makeup and all this jewelry, all for nothing! And you chased away my date earlier this week. Racheeeel." She whined.

"Okay, listen, honey, it's gonna be alright. You'll see. Look, why don't you go out on the balcony and get some fresh air? I know that always helps me think."

"I guess." Monica replied with tears in her eyes.

"Oh no, no, honey, don't cry! Your beautiful makeup will run!"

"That doesn't matter, Rach. No one's gonna see me."

"Yeah, but…" Rachel stalled as she tried to think of a reason. "I see you! And I can't stand the sight of you with your makeup running."

"Wow, thanks." Monica replied sarcastically. Rachel just laughed, and pushed her towards the balcony.

Chandler was seated at a little round table out on the balcony. He heard raised voices inside the apartment. That meant Monica was home. Any minute now, she would be coming out here. He was overly nervous. His palms were sweaty, and he double-checked everything, freaking out for a second when he thought he'd lost the ring, but then he found it again. Chandler usually wasn't this nervous! Wow, he really loved Monica. There she was. Chandler sat upright when he spotted Monica. She struggled to climb out onto the balcony, seeing as she was wearing a floor-length dress, but she made it eventually. When she spotted Chandler, and took in the sight in front of her, her expression turned to one of awe while his heart stopped for as he drank in how stunning she was.

She looked beautiful. She had on the floor-length navy blue dress with diamond embroidery and the deeply cut V-collar that she and Rachel had picked out with Chandler's money (of which Monica knew nothing). She had on sleek silver heels to match it, high enough to look gorgeous but not so high that she wouldn't be able to walk on them. On her wrist rested a diamond bracelet and she had on a matching choker necklace around her neck, just above her collarbone, so as not to distract from the dress. Her earrings were little diamond studs lost in the sea of dark hair surrounding them. A few strands of her hair were braided and pinned back, and the tips of her hair were curled, giving it a natural flow and only adding to Monica's beauty. Her makeup wasn't too elaborate, but her eyes had silver sparkles around them and she had on some elegant eyeliner, just enough to make her shining blue eyes stand out and intensify her charm. Chandler was instantly mesmerized.

When Monica finally made her way out on to the balcony, she looked up and was shocked by the sight that greeted her. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Chandler sitting at a little round table with two tall candles in the middle, and laid out beautifully with silverware and plates and glasses already filled with red wine. Surrounding him were dozens of fairy lights, strung up all over the balcony, just the right amount to give it a beautiful glow without going into overkill. It was then that Monica noticed Chandler was wearing a tuxedo and tie in the same color as her dress. She looked around in wonder, and spotted Rachel smiling at her from inside the apartment. Then she wandered away, leaving Monica and Chandler to each other. Monica was blown away by the effort put into this.

"Sit down please, Monica. You look absolutely amazing tonight."

"Thank you so much. You look great too," Monica said as she took her seat. "But what is all this for?" Deep down inside, she hoped that maybe he loved her.

"You'll see." Chandler replied mysteriously, and just then Rachel brought out the first course on a silver platter. Monica was once again dumbfounded but decided not to question, just to enjoy. Here she was, having a romantic dinner with the person she was in love with. Was this really happening?

"I made all this food myself. I know it may not be up to your standards, but I was hoping you'd like it." Monica was deeply touched.

"Are you kidding? It's perfect! I'm very impressed." She smiled at him in the dim light, and he returned it, his heart pounding in his chest.

Another course and several glasses of wine later, he knew it was time. They had been having such a good evening. Now it was the moment of truth! Now he would find out for once and for all whether Monica truly loved him like the others had told him.

"Okay, here goes." He said to her. Monica gave him a confused look, but he just smiled at her, trying not to show how nervous he was. He reached across the table and took her hands in his, holding them like he never wanted to let go. "Alright. Well, I'm just gonna get straight to the point. I'm in love with you, Monica. I have been for a long time now." Her heart skipped a beat when he said it. He searched her face for signs of emotion to see how she was responding, but no such luck. "Anyway, when you were going on other dates, you have no idea how much that hurt me. And if you feel the same way, then I know I hurt you when I asked you to go ring shopping with me. But you have to know this: I am not in love with Janice, and we had already broken up by then. I didn't tell you, because I thought you'd be happier this way." By now, Monica had fresh tears threatening to spill over.

"But the ring…?"

"Was never intended for Janice." Chandler completed her sentence. He let go of her hands, and got down on one knee. Monica gasped and brought her hand to her heart, a tear falling down her face. "I want to spend the rest of my days with you, and I hope you accept this." He pulled out the ring. "Monica Geller, will you marry me?"

**Author's Note:**** CLIFFHANGER! But I think it's obvious what the answer will be. Yay! REVIEW! Make me happy.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:**** Here's another chapter for you guys! Thanks to those of you who have continually supported me and my story and reviewed, keep it up! Review, everybody.**

"Oh, Chandler," Monica was moved. "You know I would love to become your wife, because truth be told I was in love with you too, all this time. But are you sure this is what you really want? I mean, you just broke up with Janice."

"Monica, I broke up with Janice before we went looking for the ring. Before you came into Central Perk asking why I was all happy, and whether things were going well with her. I was happy because I had broken up with her, and was free to go after you. I love you! I even got your parents' blessing, you know!" He added in a know-it-all sort of way. This made her laugh, but she was amazed.

"You did? Wow, they must really like you! Well, I guess now that means we have to get married! Wouldn't want to disappoint them!" She laughed, tossing her hair back, and let him slide the ring on her finger. Suddenly, all laughing stopped as she examined it and tears re-formed in her eyes. She looked up lovingly. "I love you too, Chandler." His heart melted when she smiled at him, and he moved forward and pulled her into a gentle yet tight embrace, kissing her deeply and with feeling. She responded equally, and they kissed for a while, enjoying every moment of it, never wanting to stop. But eventually they had to, to come up for air, and just continued staring into each other's eyes.

"I've wanted to do that for so long." Chandler breathed.

"Oh, me too." Monica couldn't resist and moved in for another passionate kiss, until they were interrupted by the other four climbing out onto the balcony. A chorus of 'aww's came from them.

"I brought out Chandler's home-made dessert!" Phoebe spoke up, and served everyone a piece. Monica and Chandler stood leaned against the balcony, his arm around her and him struggling to eat the pie with one hand. She cuddled into his arms, grateful for him. They kissed once more.

"Okay, there will be time for that later!" Rachel exclaimed while Ross looked away in disgust. "First of all, story time." She was prepared to tell Monica everything.

"Ooh, I love stories! What are we hearing?" Phoebe cried out in delight.

"No, the story of how this came about, Pheebs." Rachel told her.

Phoebe looked disappointed, and replied with a slight "Oh." Joey comforted her, and Rachel began telling Monica about how in love with her Chandler had been, at which he looked slightly embarrassed and Monica giggled and stroked his hand which was around her waist. Then Joey started explaining about how Chandler broke up with Janice and had started developing a plan to get Monica.

"Wait, you all knew?!" Monica interrupted, and everyone else nodded and murmured something about having known.

"Pretty much," Rachel interjected, and then continued. "And it was obvious how in love you were with him." Now it was Monica's turn to look embarrassed, and Chandler's turn to laugh and hug her tighter.

The other four told her the rest of the story, Chandler adding stuff in every now and then too, and by the end of it she was in tears.

"And now, here we are, and you two are engaged. I can't believe it! My best friend and my sister." Ross concluded happily. Monica and Chandler smiled at each other, and Monica took his plate as well as hers and put them down on the table. Then she turned back to him and kissed him again, more forcefully this time.

"You have no idea how hot you are to me right now." She told him, her voice dripping with seduction. He raised one eyebrow at her, and the others made their way back inside and over to Joey's, giving Monica and Chandler some privacy.

"Do you want to go to the bedroom?" Chandler asked her, and Monica nodded without hesitation. "But what about the cleanup?" For once in her life, Monica didn't care.

"It can be dealt with later. I'd rather do this right now." She winked at him and slapped his butt, then started making her way inside. However, the dress again proved to be a problem when climbing back inside, so she came up with a better solution. She turned to Chandler. "Thanks for the beautiful dress, sweetie, but it's actually turning out to be quite an obstacle. You don't mind, right?" Without waiting for an answer, she pulled it off and discarded it, now climbing inside easily, wearing only underwear, but keeping her back turned to him, teasing him.

"Oh my." He muttered under his breath, and followed her as quickly as he could. She just smiled slyly to herself. She had him right where she wanted him.

**Author's Note:**** Hope you liked that! Happy chapter there. Review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:**** I was hoping to update again last night, but I went to a concert with my dad (which was amazing by the way, the Hooters, my fifth time seeing them in concert). Anyway, I leave on vacation so here you go, I guess I'll update twice today, one kind of an in-between chapter, and the last one an epilogue, because I want the number of chapters to be 12 rather than 11, and since I leave on vacation tomorrow and I may not be able to update, you guys get two chapters today. Yeah, I'm kind of OCD about weird little things. But don't judge (do review, however). Yeah, so here it is.**

Chandler woke up the next morning and opened his eyes, but had to close them again immediately because it was so bright due to the light streaming in through the window. He thought about last night, and wondered whether it was real or not, still in a half-dream state of mind. But then he felt something move beside him, and a warm smile crept over his lips. He slowly opened his eyes again, letting them adjust to the brightness, and looked to his right. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen was waking up next to him, and staring back at him. He let himself get lost in her crystal blue eyes before leaning in to softly kiss her on the lips. She smiled into the kiss, remembering the previous night.

"Thank you so much for last night, Chandler. It was perfect. You were perfect." She added with a wink. He laughed and kissed her again. When they broke apart, she held up her hand to admire the ring settled on her finger. "It's beautiful." She told him.

"Just like you." He smiled at her, and gently cupped her cheek. It was the perfect moment. He wanted to wake up next to her like this every morning, and his heart warmed at the fact that he now could. He had finally gotten what he'd always wanted; they both had, and neither had ever been this happy. "Could I _be_ any happier?" He voiced his thoughts, and she laughed at her fiancé (God, she loved calling him that) using his signature catchphrase. He was so funny, she thought to herself.

He laughed when she laughed. She had the most beautiful laugh, and she looked so beautiful highlighted by the bright morning sun shining down on her face. He leaned forward to kiss her again, which she gladly accepted. He was so in love her morning breath didn't even matter to him. The kiss began to get more heated, when suddenly she got up and pulled a robe on, leaving the room. Bewildered, he did the same and followed her.

"Where are you going?"

"To take a shower."

"Now? We were in the middle of—" But she interrupted him, tapping her foot impatiently.

"You coming or what?" Realization crossed Chandler's face, and he raced to catch up with her, grinning. No way was he going to miss this.

"Of course! Wait up!" He yelled. "I'm slow in the mornings…" He added sheepishly. She grinned. He was so cute.

About twenty-five minutes later, they were walking out of the bathroom together, each clad in only a towel, giggling and kissing. It had been a very hot shower. They only stopped their canoodling when they noticed the four sets of eyes following them.

"Oh… hey, guys." Monica tried to act casual. The others just stared at her, silently judging her. Rachel had a smirk on her face. Joey was giving Chandler a knowing look, like he was proud of him, to which Chandler responded with an awkward smile, and quickly diverted his eyes. "We were just…"

"Oh, we heard." Rachel told them, and everybody just laughed awkwardly.

"Well, we're just gonna go get dressed…" Chandler said, and with that he and Monica walked into the bedroom, shutting the door behind them and kissing once more.

"How cute are they?!" Joey exclaimed, and everybody had to agree.

"I'm so glad Chandler went for it, my sister seems so happy." Ross added in. Again the others nodded.

"Yeah, like, could they _be_ any cuter?" Phoebe said, mocking Chandler, causing everyone to laugh.

When Chandler and Monica came back out into the kitchen, everybody inspected Monica's finger with the ring on it, and they all had breakfast together and then went down to Central Perk to hang out like they always did. All everyone was talking about was what had happened the previous evening; it was one of the most exciting things to happen to the group in a while, and they couldn't wait for the wedding.

Later that day, Monica got a head start on planning the wedding, and made everybody help her. As usual, it had to be perfect, and she was controlling everything, but everybody was so happy for them they didn't even complain!

Life was great.

**Author's Note:**** There, just a small chapter. The next one will be the epilogue, and will be up later today. Hope you enjoyed it, please review, it would be great to get some more feedback and more reviews since the story is coming to a finish. Thanks!**


	12. Epilogue

**Author's Note:**** Here's the epilogue. REVIE****W REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! It's the final chapter, guys. It'd be cool to get up to 35-40 reviews on this story. Here you go, final chapter.**

A few months later, Monica and Chandler had a beautiful white wedding at a nearby church. Jack Geller proudly gave his only daughter away, while Judy sat in the audience trying her best not to harshly judge, though it was very hard for her. Ross and Joey were proudly standing by the altar with their best friend who was getting married today. Rachel and Phoebe were both Monica's bridesmaids, each bringing something different to the mix, and they stood in tears as Monica walked up the aisle. She was beautiful. She had a floor-length, smooth, sleek, silky white wedding dress on. The skirt wasn't puffy, rather more elegant and thin, and it had sparkly diamond embroidery making it an empire waist dress without straps. Her hair was in an elaborate, beautiful updo and she had some sparkles in there too, her beautiful long veil trailing behind her.

After the wedding, they jetted off to the Maldives for their honeymoon, and had the hottest, most romantic trip. Chandler and Monica had a happy marriage. They cooked together, cleaned together, did husband-and-wife things together. He took her to work dinners, she took him to conventions, they went away for weekends sometimes etc. Throughout all this their sex life remained good. Well, more than good, in their opinions. Their other friends had never seen either of them so happy. Sure, they had fights, but they always managed, because they truly loved each other.

About a year after their wedding, they had a handsome son, and two years after that, a beautiful daughter. They grew up well, they had great parents. The boy's name was Daniel Joseph, named after Joey, and the daughter was called Karen Rachel, in honor of Monica's best friend and former roommate. They grew up to be wonderful children. They got a goldfish as a compromise, although Daniel and Karen wanted a more interactive animal, but Chandler hated dogs. They still spent as much time as they could with their other friends, but of course they moved to a bigger place. It still wasn't too far out, though. Daniel and Karen loved their uncles Ross and Joey, and adored their aunts Phoebe and Rachel. They tried to take family vacations every year, and they made it through the awkward dinners with Chandler's and Monica's parents. It couldn't have been better for them.

Monica and Chandler grew old together, and never lost touch with the other four, remembering all their good times. Daniel and Karen grew up to become very successful in their fields of work, too.

All in all, Chandler was so glad he let himself be convinced to propose to the woman of his dreams.

They belonged together.

Chandler belonged with Monica, not anybody else. And that was exactly how they wanted it.

**Author's Note:**** Thanks! Tell me what you thought! I hope you enjoyed this story, thanks to everybody who's been reading and reviewing. And I ask you all to please check out some of my other stuff when you're done! There's a few one-shots up and one not-so-popular chaptered story, Life Goes On, which I'm not updating much since I'm not getting responses to it, so read it and review it please! I want to know whether to continue it.**


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